Proverbs 24
24
1Don’t envy the evil#Ps 37:1; Pr 23:17; 24:19
or desire to be with them,#Ps 1:1; Pr 1:15
2for their hearts plan violence,
and their words stir up trouble.#Ps 10:7
3A house is built by wisdom,#Pr 14:1
and it is established by understanding;
4by knowledge the rooms are filled
with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5A wise warrior is better than a strong one,#24:5 LXX, Syr; MT reads is in strength
and a man of knowledge than one of strength;#24:5 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads knowledge exerts strength#Pr 21:22
6for you should wage war with sound guidance —
victory comes with many counselors.#Pr 11:14; 15:22; 20:18
7Wisdom is inaccessible to#24:7 Lit is too high for a fool;#Pr 14:6; 17:16,24
he does not open his mouth at the city gate.#Jb 5:4; Ps 127:5
8The one who plots evil#Rm 1:30
will be called a schemer.
9A foolish scheme is sin,
and a mocker is detestable to people.
10If you do nothing in a difficult time,
your strength is limited.
11Rescue those being taken off to death,
and save those stumbling toward slaughter.#Ps 82:4; Is 58:6–7
12If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,”
won’t he who weighs hearts#1Sm 16:7; Ps 44:21; Pr 21:2 consider it?
Won’t he who protects your life#Ps 121:3–8 know?
Won’t he repay a person according to his work?#Jb 34:11; Ps 62:12
13Eat honey,#Pr 25:16 my son, for it is good,
and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate;#Sg 5:1
14realize that wisdom is the same for you.#Ps 19:10; 119:103
If you find it, you will have a future,
and your hope will never fade.#Pr 10:28; 23:18; Jr 29:11
15Don’t set an ambush, you wicked one,
at the camp of the righteous man;#Pr 10:9–10
don’t destroy his dwelling.
16Though a righteous person falls seven times,
he will get up,#Jb 5:19; Ps 37:24
but the wicked will stumble into ruin.#Pr 14:32; 29:16
17Don’t gloat when your enemy falls,
and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,#Ps 35:15,19; Pr 17:5; Ob 12; Mc 7:8
18or the Lord will see, be displeased,
and turn his wrath away from him.
19Don’t be agitated by evildoers,
and don’t envy the wicked.#Ps 37:1; Pr 23:17; 24:1
20For the evil have no future;#Ps 37:38; Pr 14:11; 16:25
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.#2Sm 21:17; Jb 18:5; 21:17; Pr 13:9; 20:20
21My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king,#Mt 22:21; Rm 13:1–7; 1Pt 2:13–14,17
and don’t associate with rebels,#24:21 Or those given to change
22for destruction will come suddenly from them;
who knows what distress these two can bring?
23These sayings also belong to the wise:#Pr 1:6; 22:17
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.#Dt 1:17; 16:19; Pr 18:5; 28:21
24Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”#Pr 17:15 —
peoples will curse him,#Pr 11:26 and nations will denounce him;
25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a generous blessing will come to them.
26He who gives an honest answer
gives a kiss on the lips.
27Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field;#Pr 20:4
afterward, build your house.
28Don’t testify against your neighbor without cause.#Ex 20:16; Pr 25:18
Don’t deceive with your lips.
29Don’t say, “I’ll do to him what he did to me;
I’ll repay the man for what he has done.”#Dt 32:35; Pr 20:22; Mt 5:39; Rm 12:17,19
30I went by the field of a slacker
and by the vineyard of one lacking sense.
31Thistles had come up everywhere,
weeds covered the ground,#Gn 3:18; Pr 20:4
and the stone wall was ruined.
32I saw, and took it to heart;
I looked, and received instruction:
33a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,
34and your poverty will come like a robber,
and your need, like a bandit.#Pr 6:10–11; 20:13
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Proverbs 24
24
1Do not envy evil people
or wish you were with them,
2because their minds plot violence,
and their lips talk trouble.
3With wisdom a house is built.
With understanding it is established.
4With knowledge its rooms are filled
with every kind of riches, both precious and pleasant.
5A strong man knows how to use his strength,
but a person with knowledge is even more powerful.
6After all, with the right strategy you can wage war,
and with many advisers there is victory.
7Matters of wisdom are beyond the grasp of a stubborn fool.
At the city gate he does not open his mouth.
8Whoever plans to do evil will be known as a schemer.
9Foolish scheming is sinful,
and a mocker is disgusting to everyone.
10If you faint in a crisis, you are weak.
11Rescue captives condemned to death,
and spare those staggering toward their slaughter.
12When you say, “We didn’t know this,”
won’t the one who weighs hearts take note of it?
Won’t the one who guards your soul know it?
Won’t he pay back people for what they do?
13Eat honey, my son, because it is good.
Honey that flows from the honeycomb tastes sweet.
14The knowledge of wisdom is like that for your soul.
If you find it, then there is a future,
and your hope will never be cut off.
15You wicked one,
do not lie in ambush at the home of a righteous person.
Do not rob his house.
16A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again.
However, in a disaster wicked people fall.
17Do not be happy when your enemy falls,
and do not feel glad when he stumbles.
18The Lord will see it, he won’t like it,
and he will turn his anger away from that person.
19Do not get overly upset with evildoers.
Do not envy wicked people,
20because an evil person has no future,
and the lamps of wicked people will be snuffed out.
21Fear the Lord, my son.
Fear the king as well.
Do not associate with those who always insist upon change,
22because disaster will come to them suddenly.
Who knows what misery both may bring?
Learning from Wise People
23These also are the sayings of wise people:
Showing partiality as a judge is not good.
24Whoever says to a guilty person, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by people and condemned by nations.
25But people will be pleased with those who convict a guilty person,
and a great blessing will come to them.
26Giving a straight answer is ⌞like⌟ a kiss on the lips.
27Prepare your work outside,
and get things ready for yourself in the field.
Afterwards, build your house.
28Do not testify against your neighbor without a reason,
and do not deceive with your lips.
29Do not say,
“I’ll treat him as he treated me.
I’ll pay him back for what he has done to me.”
30I passed by a lazy person’s field,
the vineyard belonging to a person without sense.
31I saw that it was all overgrown with thistles.
The ground was covered with weeds,
and its stone fence was torn down.
32When I observed ⌞this⌟, I took it to heart.
I saw it and learned my lesson.
33“Just a little sleep,
just a little slumber,
just a little nap.”
34Then your poverty will come like a drifter,
and your need will come like a bandit.
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